Question: What is the “Spirit of Anglicanism?”
Answer: The Rev. Elizabeth Kaeton, the Diocesan Missioner to The Oasis (a ministry to gays and lesbians) wrote recently in reaction to the Lambeth Conference, “The Spirit of Anglicanism, which has been nurtured and sustained by the “three -legged stool” of scripture, reason and tradition, was stifled and suffocated by repeated appeals to the authority of scripture alone. A mean-spirit arose in its place, manifesting itself in the debate among the bishops and primates on human sexuality. The result was a de-humanizing resolution which passed by over 80% of the bishops present. The bishops rejected homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture, stating that they cannot advise the legitimizing or blessing of same sex unions or ordaining those involved in same gender unions.”
As we can see from her remarks, the “Spirit of Anglicanism” has to do with the issue of authority, specifically the source or sources of authority for our beliefs and practices. Typically three sources of authority are mentioned; Scripture, tradition, and reason. Sometimes these three are referred to by the metaphor of a three-legged stool. The enumeration of these three sources and the metaphor are often attributed to the 16th century Anglican, Richard Hooker. These attributions are not entirely correct. Hooker did speak of Scripture, tradition, and reason but he never did compare these to a three-legged stool. Later commentators invented the analogy and, as often happens with analogies, this one fails to convey the sense of Hooker’s argument. In fact, it is downright misleading for it puts these three sources on equal footing.
For Hooker, Scripture was the great source of authority. However, he wrote in opposition to the Puritans of his day who held that whatever was not expressly commanded in Scripture was unlawful. The Puritans could thereby dispense with Bishops , among other things. In response, Hooker developed a theory of natural law which originates in God to which both civil and ecclesiastical laws are subservient. Hooker’s essential premise was that not everything that is right and good can be found in the directions of Scripture. Furthermore, the permanence of a general law does not preclude development of detail. Thus, some things that are not expressly commanded in Scripture could be lawful according to Hooker. However, for Hooker such laws made in accordance with natural law could not contradict any positive law of Scripture. Both natural law and Scripture spring from the mind of God and reflect God’s reason. They, therefore, of necessity do not conflict.
It is worth noting that when Hooker spoke of reason he was speaking first and foremost of God’s reason. He would applaud Einstein’s view of the scientific enterprise as, “thinking God’s thoughts after Him.” And he would agree with the conclusion that many, including Einstein, have come to after seriously engaging God’s thoughts, namely, they are greater than our thoughts.
So what does all of this say about the “Spirit of Anglicanism?” Well, if Hooker is invoked as representing this “Spirit,” then it would seem that at least 80% of the Bishops manifested it at Lambeth. They were forthright enough to say that Scripture is authoritative for us. They were forthright enough to say that where Scripture gives clear direction we are bound to follow it. They were forthright enough to say that since we are bound to follow it, we cannot endorse something which is incompatible with it.
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Daniel W. Kreller,
Last Updated: November, 1998
© 1998 The Rev. Daniel W. Kreller
